ClearSky Research
Investment Thesis
ClearSky Advisors is a venture capital and growth equity fund manager headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, that has managed approximately $1 billion in capital commitments over more than a decade (founded 2012). The firm invests exclusively in two sectors where its partners claim operator-level, insider expertise: cybersecurity and the energy transition. ClearSky's stated thesis is that its deep, long-standing relationships with utilities, critical-infrastructure operators, and enterprise security buyers give it superior deal flow, diligence quality, and the ability to accelerate portfolio companies' revenue growth through strategic introductions. The firm is a member of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) and a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and the Venture Climate Alliance, reflecting an ESG-oriented approach to the energy transition side of the portfolio.
Stage Focus
ClearSky invests across Series B through growth-stage rounds, with occasional smaller convertible-note top-ups into existing portfolio companies. It is not a seed investor. Recent 2025-2026 activity spans Series B (Guardz, Mitiga extension, XGS Energy), Series D (Ubicquia), late-stage growth rounds (Renew Home), and convertible notes (EdgeQ, Query.AI).
Check Size
Typical check sizes range from roughly $1M-$2M for smaller convertible-note or follow-on participations (Mitiga: $1M of a $6.6M extension; EdgeQ: $1.5M of an $11M note; Renew Home: $2M of a $50M round) up to $20M-$56M+ when leading a round (Cleartrace: led a $20M round in 2022; Guardz: led/co-led a $56M Series B in 2025). ClearSky has also participated alongside larger syndicates in $100M+ rounds (Ubicquia's $106M Series D).
Lead Tendency
Mixed ("both"). ClearSky has led or co-led several rounds historically (Cleartrace, Guardz, XGS Energy Series B) but frequently takes smaller participating positions in larger syndicated rounds, especially for follow-on investments into existing portfolio companies (Renew Home, EdgeQ, Mitiga, Query.AI).
Recent Activity
ClearSky has been very active through its Spring 2026 newsletter reporting period:
- April 2026: Invested $2M in Renew Home's $50M growth round (virtual power plant / demand-response platform)
- March 2026: Backed Query.AI's convertible note round
- February 2026: Co-led XGS Energy's Series B (New Mexico geothermal project with Meta)
- February 2026: Participated in Ubicquia's $106M Series D (smart grid / intelligent lighting)
- January 2026: Portfolio company Altamira was acquired by Parsons for $330M plus a $45M earn-out
- December 2025: Invested $1.5M in EdgeQ's $11M convertible note
- December 2025: Invested $1M in Mitiga's $6.6M Series B extension
- October 2025: Portfolio company Inky was acquired by Kaseya
- September 2025: Portfolio company Qwiet AI was acquired by Harness
- June 2025: Led/co-led Guardz's $56M Series B
- November 2024: Announced Fund IV, targeting up to $500M
Fund status: actively deploying. ClearSky is currently investing out of multiple named vehicles referenced in portfolio company descriptions, including "Security I," "Power II," and "Fund IV."
Portfolio Highlights
Since 2012, ClearSky has invested in more than 30 cybersecurity companies and dozens of energy-transition companies, with a reported ~60% exit rate across 21 acquisitions and 2 IPOs. Notable exits and public outcomes include Mandiant (f.k.a. FireEye, acquired by Google), Cylance (acquired by BlackBerry), CloudGenix and Demisto (both acquired by Palo Alto Networks), Verodin and Preempt Security, Databricks (f.k.a. Okera), IntSights (acquired by Rapid7), Nikola Corporation (Nasdaq IPO), Nextracker (Nasdaq IPO), Altamira (acquired by Parsons, Jan 2026), Inky (acquired by Kaseya, Oct 2025), and Qwiet AI (acquired by Harness, Sep 2025). Active notable names include Arctic Wolf Networks, BigID, AppOmni, Optiv, Guardz, Mitiga, Query.AI, Ubicquia, Renew Home, EdgeQ, XGS Energy, Harness, Human (bot/fraud mitigation), Mainspring Energy, Cleartrace, and Spruce Power.
Team
- Alex Weiss — CEO, Co-Founder & Managing Partner
- James Huff — Co-Founder & Managing Partner
- Erik Straser — Partner
- Robert Rauch — Partner
- Ryan Crum — Partner (joined from Apollo Global Management, where he was Chief Security Officer/CTO; prior roles at JPMorgan, TIAA-CREF, PwC)
- Guy Nizan — Venture Partner
- Howard Shecter — Executive Partner
- Joseph Wright — Chairman of the Investment Committee
- Daniel Furey — Partner, Head of Global Capital Formation (joined from Global Infrastructure Partners/BlackRock, UBS, Merrill Lynch)
- Nick-Anthony Buford — Managing Director & General Counsel
- Austin Summers — Senior Vice President
- Vince Nicchi — Controller
- Anjali Nagaraja — Associate (promoted from Analyst in 2023; contributed to EdgeQ, Mitiga, Guardz)
- Owen Santos — Analyst, focused on the firm's AI strategy
Decision Process
ClearSky operates with a formal investment committee (chaired by Joseph Wright) and a multi-partner structure, indicating a partnership/investment-committee decision process rather than a solo-GP model.
Founder Preferences
Portfolio commentary emphasizes technical, mission-driven founders building disruptive, deployable technology in cybersecurity and energy infrastructure — often with clear enterprise or utility customer traction (e.g., Query.AI's utility-provider deal, XGS Energy's Meta partnership, EdgeQ's public-safety network deployment) rather than pure early-stage, pre-revenue bets.
Geographic Focus
Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida (525 Okeechobee Blvd, Suite 800, West Palm Beach, FL 33401). Portfolio is primarily US-based with some international investments (e.g., IntSights, Guardz, and Solebit in Israel; ClimateTrade in Spain).
Strategic Partnerships
ClearSky partnered with a group of industry veterans to establish Clarum Advisors, a strategic consulting group focused on accelerating the global energy transition, supporting thesis development and portfolio company strategy/operations.